Hip hop is a site of shared struggle between racial and cultural minorities. For many Asian Americans, hip hop offers an opportunity to resist expectations and enables artists to find stronger and more public voice. Featured artist disrupt the passive “model minority” stereotype by empowering a struggle against oppression and by undermining prejudice. Hip hop is a global movement today. It is a common field that connects groups by engaging audiences through songwriting, poetry, music, dance, street art, design, and visual culture. In this way, LA APA hip hop is an ever expanding place of empowerment through an evolving visual, sonic, and written language and culture.

To embrace active participation, the Beat Junkies Institute of Sound will install a custom-built, hands-on turn table installation as an interactive element where the public is invited to step up to the table, touch real vinyl records and practice being a DJ on the spot. This installation teaches the art of turntablism, “scratching” and “mixing” to the general audience. Additionally, artist and B-boy (break dancer artist) Kenny Kong will present an interactive dance installation in which the body of the participant triggers various elements of the sound track, turning the relationship of dance and music around. Normally one dances to the music, but here one’s dance triggers and controls the music. This is augmented by a live video projection of the dancer in the space. The projection tracks the hands and feet of the participant drawing lines as they move. These lines are projected back onto the wall in bright colors to reference the lines and colors used on graffiti writing.

From the co-curator of the show Ninochka McTaggart, “It is exciting how this exhibition explores hip hop culture as a space for connecting racial and ethnic identity, self-expression, and innovation for Asian Americans.” From the co-curator of the show Justin Hoover, “This show creates a space of community for younger Asian Americans who defy expectations. It is a place for cultural resilience where we can show the world that we embody a range of cultural practices and lifestyles.”

This exhibition is co-curated by Ninochka McTaggart, PhD, and the Chinese American Museum’s newly appointed curator Justin Charles Hoover. A zine on the connections of hip hop with arts, fashion, and food will be published by CAM Education staff Janelle Sangalang and Hannah Yang.

Thanks to generous funding from the Eastside Arts Initiative (EAI), in partnership with LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes (LA Plaza) and the California Community Foundation (CCF) as well as the ongoing support of the Friends of the Chinese American Museum, and El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument.